on selling a palm tree

[ronin]

Got an unsolicited offer on a large canary island date palm in my yard from a local palm nursery fellow. He said he could use it on a current job and offered me $1000. The tree is at least 35 yrs old and 25'-30' tall (not counting the fronds on top) and a superb specimen well tended. I think his offer is way low, but I don't know enough about palms. In looking around, I think the tree is worth several thousand easily (retail, at least). My thought is to counter with an offer to sell for $4000 and see if I can get at least $3K. Does anyone know the value of these things (wholesale/grower) so I might have a better idea of how to proceed?

 

[TromboneAl]

Why don't you call a couple of his competitors and see what they'd pay?

Here's my palm story: My sister had a large palm in the front of her San Diego house. One day, in broad daylight, some thieves came and dug it up and stole it. The funny part, was that at one point, one of the thieves came to the door and asked to use the bathroom (which my nephew let him do).

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I know a 10-12' date palm runs around $1200-1400, but thats to buy it off the lot, not including installation or removal.

I've seen quotes for the really tall (25+foot) trees at a corporate office and in a downtown area run to tens of thousands of dollars each, but that was installed.

 

[Urchina]

I just looked online at a couple of wholesalers -- looks like wholesale price for this type of palm tree, for one that's 6 feet high, is in the $2500 range.

I just called a palm grower here in town and he said that $50 a foot is what he'd offer a homeowner for a tree he was trying to buy. By those numbers, the $1000 you've been offered is a lowball.

I'd call a local landscaper and ask what he'd charge you to put in a comparably-sized tree. That'll give you an idea of its street value.

Good luck!

 

[ronin]

Thanks for your replies. I called the guy back a little while ago and told him I thought his offer was low, leaving room for him to come back at me. He said "OK then" and hung up. Guess he was just hoping to lowball me, probably does it all over as he travels around. I imagine somebody in financial straights would jump at it. I like my tree so its no biggie.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

interesting concept ronin. as i've been planting an urban jungle during the last 14 years (over 35 species of palms, untold individual trees--some pigmy dates but no big canary, love'm though), i've quite the inventory. looks like the 8 foxtails alone go for $60/ft field grown according to some website i just checked. i probably got about $8k of them by now (cost at purchase $20/palm). one of my now huge royal palms was planted by a bird, apparently. happens s/he dropped it in just the right spot so i let it grow there. i wonder what that'll fetch today. hmmm, bet i could pay a year's expenses with just a little harvesting. i'll have to include this in my emergency personal financial stability plan.

 

[ronin]

bet i could pay a year's expenses with just a little harvesting. i'll have to include this in my emergency personal financial stability plan.

Now if I could only find a market for gophers I'd be set!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I hear they taste like chicken, and with this bad economy...

 

[TromboneAl]

Hey Lazy, how about a picture of that bamboo you planted in June of '07?

 

[ronin]

I hear they taste like chicken, and with this bad economy...

Plant some pumpkins and chiles and we're talking the fixin's for a mean mole.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Niiiiiiice!

Ah crap. Now I know what I'm making for dinner.

No, not mole mole, chicken...

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

didn't have a great crop of bamboo this year, t-al. partially my fault. we had what looked like was going to be a very wet rainy season but then just as the bamboo got the hint to grow it dried up. outside of well-watering on a water-restricted schedule, i tend to let the garden fend for itself. so some of the shoots that started to sprout stunted. i recently put a hose to them but doubt they will survive. instead of a full-grown bamboo plant, they might just make for a lovely salad.

for anyone interested in seeing bamboo grow, here's the old bamboo rising thread.

forgive my poor quality pictures below as the digi-cam is screwed up and haven't sent in to be fixed yet.

here's the cluster from the bamboo rising thread, only one stalk reached full height this year so far, about 20-30 feet i guess...

view from 'round the other side...

there's about 6 sprouts. would have been stunning had i taken better care to help them grow...

i was pleased with the growth of two species though,

here is a view between two stalks of the black bamboo of the asian lemon. beautiful shade of yellow and smooth as glass, very sensual to the touch...

the center stalk shown here is the teddy bear bamboo which shot up out of nowhere. never saw one grow so fast. about as tall as my neighbor's oak. the surface is covered in a brown velvety fur. the sprouts are about the tastiest of all the bamboo and can be eaten raw.

 

[freebird5825]

now that's something i've never had happen. interesting story...
so glad you're keeping your green friend in the yard.

 

[tryan]

Reminds me of the flourist who stops to cut the lillies in our yard. Pays us $10/bunch and says they'll be in NYC weddings by the weekend.

Then there's the lady who stops and breaks off whole branches stuffing them into her car and speeds away. Weird to watch (stays DW).

 

[freebird5825]

sounds like you need a sign near the lilies..something like

CAUTION - FIRE ANTS or

You are under video surveillance - look up and smile for the camera.

have fun!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

"These plants have been sprayed regularly with boric acid. You may want to consult a doctor!"

 

[FUEGO]

Or one of these:

 

[ronin]

I've got a pomegranate tree out front that bears well every year. It's interesting to watch the thieves and their behaviors. Rarely, someone will ask permission to pick. I appreciate that. The guys on horse back can get up higher than the guys in cars that do the quick drive-bys. I can only make so many pom-margaritas and cosmos before I get sick of them so I guess if others like 'em, salud!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

We have a pom too, along with a bunch of other fruit trees.

We pick whatever is ripe year round and take them to our CSA, who hands them out as a bonus to the other sharecroppers. They give us an extra sack of tomatoes and peppers or whatever they've got too much of.

 

[Marquette]

I'm pretty sure I've told this before. We were visiting a friend in Tennessee. We all went up to his parents cabin in the mountains. As we were out walking the property, we saw a man on a quad ride up to the neighbor's house, jump off, chop down several stalks of bamboo and throw them on his four-wheeler before jumping back on and gunning it back down the driveway.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Isnt that the sort of thing that makes having a rocket propelled grenade in the home seem perfectly reasonable?